Etihad Airways and Universal Pictures

Newly-decaled Fast & Furious plane

First Stop of the Luxury Boeing Jet Airliner Kicks off Global Junket and World Premiere of Furious 7

19 Mar 2015 11:30

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and Universal Pictures today unveiled the luxury Fast & Furious 777 airliner at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Actor/producer Vin Diesel
was on hand as Etihad Airways Flight 171 arrived from Abu Dhabi to kick off the
global junket and world premiere of Furious
7. The film arrives in theaters on
April 3.

Representing a welcome first for the franchise, the Fast & Furious 777 will fly the
direct route between Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles, which Etihad Airways opened in
June 2014. The airline is also sponsor
of the Furious 7 world premiere,
which takes place in Los Angeles on April 1.

As the United Arab Emirates offered an opportunity to inject
striking elements and locales into the series’ mythology, Abu Dhabi became a
key location for the Furious 7 production. Over the course of two weeks in April 2014,
the team lensed in areas outside Abu Dhabi in the Liwa Desert, as well as in
the city center at such locations as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Emirates
Palace hotel, the Yas Marina F1 race circuit and the Etihad Towers. Considering Abu Dhabi’s striking skyline—one
accentuated with stunning architectural achievements—aerial shots of the
skyscrapers were mandatory.

“Etihad Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines in the
world with a strong history of culture and innovation and a commitment to
reimagining the travel experience for our guests,” said Peter Baumgartner,
Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways.
“We are pleased to work together with
Universal, an organization which shares that same spirit of innovation and
reimagination when it comes to the world of entertainment, to unveil our newly-decaled
Boeing 777 aircraft in support of the Fast
& Furious franchise, and Furious 7 which premieres next month and
highlights our airline’s home of Abu Dhabi.”

“When we began filming The Fast and the Furious in 2000, if
you told me that we would one day have our logo on a wide-body jet, I would
have said you were crazy,” said producer Neal H. Moritz, who has shepherded all
seven films in the series.

“We are so honored that Etihad has partnered with us to
support this very personal film, and we thank the people of the United Arab
Emirates for all the kindness and graciousness they showed throughout
production.”

The Fast & Furious
decal will remain on the plane for the next four to six months.